Heart Of A Hunter
by softly-sofly-massacre-monkey
Summary: "Annie finds herself in the position of having to stop the love of Hal's life running out on him, but how do you convince someone to stay, when they can't see or hear you?" A one-shot of a love interest of Hal's leaving, and finding comfort in Annie's silence. Mainly OC, Maggie.


"Hello, Annie," I sighed, not looking away from Eve, lying innocently in her cot. Out of the corner of my eye I had seen the picture frame, as if someone had nudged it as they walked past. I'd grown accustomed to the little tells that gave away Annie's presence, but sometimes I wished I could see her; hear her answers.

"I get it now," I said. "I get it; why you don't like Tom killing vampires… It's because of Mitchell, isn't it?" I let it hang in the air for a moment. Eve is unusually quiet, adding to the tension. "It's because you loved Mitchell. You loved him, you still do. And now, every vampire you see is him. He's everywhere. They turn to ash, and you see his face, burning, screaming… It's torture."

I don't know how long I sat there, thinking about the hunt today. Only that I couldn't keep it in. I couldn't lie to Annie.

"Tom killed a vampire today." I could almost hear her ghostly gasp. "Don't be mad at him! It was my fault. He was protecting me. He had no choice." I bit my lip, realising I would have to explain myself. "I was upset. Hal and I… Well, we got in a fight, I was upset, I needed to vent. And well, that's what I used to do… With my brother. We'd, uh, go hunting…

"Well I talked Tom into coming with me. He didn't have to kill anyone. Just have my back while _I _killed one. But I… I wavered. I couldn't do it.

"I came so close too! He was cornered, standing right there in front of me, glaring. All I had to do was take a step forward and… strike.

"But then he called out to me. He couldn't have possibly known my name, I know that. But somehow he did, and he was calling out to me, over and over, begging me not to do it; apologising. And when I looked back…" I turned and looked directly at where I presumed Annie to be. "It was Hal in front of me."

I turned back to the cot, unsure what to say next. Where did I go from there? I wasn't sure what had even happened next.

"I told him it wasn't his fault. All those weeks ago, when you asked Tom how I'd done it – he told me, by the way -. I told him it wasn't his fault. I told him he had no control over it, like my brother or Tom, when they change, that I didn't blame him; that I _wouldn't _blame him, even if he did hurt me. But I trusted that he wouldn't." I laughed feebly to myself. "I wouldn't take no for an answer."

"So there he stood," I continued, "begging me not to end it, grovelling and apologising. He was sorry he'd hurt me. I'd said I would forgive him.

"And suddenly I really did believe it was Hal I was trying to stake. We were in the house, in his room, and I was telling him it was for the best. I said I was sorry, that I'd lied; I _couldn't _forgive him. I told him he would thank me later, it was just something I had to do…

"I took out the stake. I looked down at it, this thin, fragile _stick - _it was just a _stick! _–, and how much damage it could do; how much it could hurt.

"The second the stake touched the ground, the vamp was on me. Tom had no choice." I blinked away the tears forming. "I cried. When he died."

I wiped at my eyes again.

"It was like he really was gone, and I couldn't deal with it; I couldn't handle it if he was gone. I just… I love him." I took a breath, suddenly aware of the words coming out of my mouth. But I couldn't stop now. It was like a weight was in the process of being lifted. I had to finish this confession or it would all be worthless. "I love Hal, Annie. I'm _in _love with him." I paused for a moment, awaiting a reply, before I remembered there would never be one.

"I have to go. I have to leave now." I got to my feet and rushed to the door. "I'm sorry for everything, Annie. I'm sorry for making Tom kill a vampire. I'm sorry about the foul mood I've put Hal in – You'll look after him, right? – Of course you will, you were doing just fine before I came along…" I opened the door. "I'm sorry I never got the chance to see you." I took a step out. "Goodbye, Annie. Give my best to the boys. And tell them I'm sorry too."

I turned and headed for the stairs, my head down, eager to be gone. Annie was a ghost, she couldn't stop me. She couldn't do anything about it. Saying my name wasn't going to help either. I wasn't going to come back, I –

Calling my name? But even if she _was, _I couldn't hear her. I shouldn't be able to. I looked up, to see Hal standing in the doorway to his room.

"You came back," he whispered. "You're back." He sounded amazed, and – my mind must have been playing tricks again – almost as if he was glad to see me. That couldn't be right.

I took a step backwards as he came towards me, reaching for me. He frowned, looking confused and slightly hurt.

"What's wrong?" he said, taking his hand back. "Your cheek…"

I put a hand to my cheek subconsciously. I'd almost forgotten about my tussle with the vamp.

"It's nothing, I'm just… I have to go…" I attempted to pass him, my head down. I refused to look him in the eye. I'd never be able to leave if I did.

He caught me by the arms, lowering his head to see my face. "You're leaving? But you just got here?"

"I never meant for you to see me. I just came to apologise to Annie. I have to go now."

"Apologise? What for? Maggie? What did you do? Mags?"

"I really have to go. Please let me leave."

I felt him tilt my chin up with his finger, forcing me to look at him. Bam. There were the eyes. The hypnotic, beautiful blue eyes. I was trapped.

"Maggie, are you on the run?"

"No."

"Then where are you going? Whatever it is can wait. You're home now. Stay."

"I can't. It's better if I go. Better for you."

We stood in silence for a moment. I knew he was trying desperately to figure me out, read my mind, and although I knew I should, I couldn't look away.

He shook his head. "You're not leaving me again. I won't let you."

"I went hunting today," I said bluntly. Hal blinked, surprised. "I went hunting, and I caught one."

"Doesn't matter," he said, trying not to show it bothered him.

"Another vampire out there is dead because of me," I said stonily, careful not to let on that it was actually Tom that had done the killing. Any other day, it would've been me who had done it. Maybe. Could've been.

"It doesn't matter," he said, gritting his teeth. "I'm not part of all that anymore. I didn't know them."

"But you might've done. Or you might yet. What if I do it again? What if… what if it's you?"

He rolled his eyes, obviously finding my statement ludicrous. "I think I can look after myself, Maggie."

"Not if you trust me," I argued. "Not if you trust me, like you obviously do right now. I'm a trained hunter, Hal. I _know _how to kill you, and I know how to do it quick."

"You're not going to kill me," he said with confidence. "If you ever were, you would've done it by now. You would've done it when we first met."

"But I _could_!"

"But you _won't. _You're not a real killer, Mag. They were all strangers and they would've killed you–"

"I provoked them–"

"You were _brain-washed. _Your brother was so hell-bent on avenging your father, so stricken with grief; he was a madman, Maggie. Your brother was ill. He made you think what you were doing was right. It wasn't your fault. You were just a child–"

"Then what about today? Am I a child now? There's no one else to blame. Damien's gone. What about today?"

He sighed. "You didn't kill anyone."

I screwed up my eyes in suspicion. "How do you know that?"

A cheeky smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Because Annie just told me."

"Annie!" I moaned.


End file.
